1. Forgiveness allows you to receive God’s forgiveness
Matthew 6:14 – 15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Un-forgiveness will separate you from God
The unforgiving heart clings to the past, refusing to extend to others what our heavenly Father has extended to us
Too many Christians see salvation as a cover all for their lifestyle – and go on doing whatever they want
Christ has a prescribed a lifestyle for Christians and one of the cornerstones is forgiveness
Jesus says if you do not forgive then God will not forgive you

The kingdom life is one of forgiveness – it should be happening in our life daily

2. Forgiveness release the anger in your life
Why are there so many angry Christians? Because so many choose to live with un-forgiveness
Ephesians 4:26 In your anger do not sin” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold
For some people it’s been way too many nights of the sun going down on their anger
What are you so angry about – get a fresh revelation of what God has planned for you
If you practice forgiveness – you wont be an angry person
As you forgive – it releases all the anger in you
If you are holding un-forgiveness you will lose your peace and peace is God’s gift to us
We have forgotten that one of our distinctives is forgiveness

If you find yourself getting angry – you will probably find there is some un-forgiveness hanging around in your life – get rid of it!!

3. Forgiveness lightens the load
Forgiveness liberates the soul Nelson Mandela – Invictus
Un-forgiveness is a burden you were not created to carry
You see people carrying this heavy burden – it makes them sad and negative about life
You can feel that when you are with a person struggling with un-forgiveness
It is a bitter heavy atmosphere that they create, weighed down by the worries of life
You just need to release the burden
Why are you carrying around that junk? Will you forgive and be released?

4. Forgiveness sets you free
Galatians 5: 1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Take your freedom in Jesus name
In Turkey in 2010 I had a powerful experience at Gallipoli
I Stood at the waters of Anzac cove –where so many men gave their lives to take the beach
On Chunack bair where kiwis took the hill against the odds at the cost of hundreds of lives
One of the details that really impacted me was the act of forgiveness shown by the Turkish leader Ataturk (who was the leader of the Turkish army in Gallipoli & went on to be the national leader)
There is a huge sign at Gallipoli of a quote by Ataturk
Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives … You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours.. You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our bosom and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well. Ataturk

That statement set Turkey on a course of forgiveness & reconciliation
They have respected the fallen by creating amazing memorials for each nation at Gallipoli
They could have held on to the offended – But forgiveness changes everything
We killed their people but they forgave us and have embraced us
This is the power of forgiveness

The ultimate act of forgiveness was Jesus Christ
Who willingly came to earth – to walk in our shoes – to feel our pain – to sacrifice his life to win our freedom – the power of forgiveness purchased our lives

1. Isaiah 40: 28 – 31 Do you not know have you not heard? The lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired and weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint

2. Isaiah 41: 10 Fear not for I am with you

3. Isaiah 54: 17 No weapon that is formed against you will prosper

4. Matthew 19:26 With God all things are possible

5. Romans 10: 17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God

6. 2 Corinthians 5: 7 We live by faith not by sight

7. Philippians 4:19 My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.

8. Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

9. 1 John 4:4 Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world

10. 1 John 5:4 Whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, even our faith

When I think about freedom I think about the great freedom speech in cinematic history
In the movie Braveheart – William Wallace asks this great question to the Scottish troops
What will you do without freedom?
It’s a good question – without freedom we live in bondage

You look around the world today and see so many living in bondage
Living with weight, living with bitterness, living in fear

Keys to living in freedom

1. Receive freedom
John 8:32 Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
When you receive the gospel – you have the opportunity for truth to come into your life
You don’t have freedom until you receive it from Christ
The world is living under a death sentence of it’s own sin
Until you accept the gospel and receive Jesus Christ – you are also under the it’s weight

If you carrying around a weight – receive freedom

What does freedom look like?
It is a life of faith, hope and love
It is lightness – you feel released
It is a life that is unburdened and unrestrained

2. Offload your baggage
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Freedom is the absence of baggage
Too many people are carrying around baggage that they don’t need to be carrying
To receive freedom you need to offload the weight

The devil wants you living a burdened life – and the world obliges
People end up stressed out, in credit card debt
Mortgaged up: Old French word, literally means death pledge
Relational stress, in therapy, in alcohol and drug abuse & physical abuse

But Christ has come to set us free from the weight of sin and death

3. Live differently
1 Peter 2:16 – 17 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Honor God by living in freedom and using your body to glorify him
I see Christians who kind of take it all for granted – accepting freedom and then try living for no.1
I am changed by what Christ did for me
I don’t want to live the old life
If you have anger, un-forgiveness, anxiety, stress, guilt, self esteem issues
It’s time to change

Christ wants us to live a free life in a burdened world
He wants us to demonstrate freedom
To live the kingdom life

4. Don’t go back
Galatians 5:1 Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

The devil wants you back in bondage – he wants you back in sin and back carrying your burden
And he knows your weakness
You need to stand up to him and stand firm in Christ!
Stand on the rock, stand with the faithful, stand in truth, stand in the presence of God

Freedom is a beautiful thing and Jesus Christ’s gift to us
Receive the gift – get free – walk in freedom